DRUG REHAB PROGRAMS & SERVICES

Your stay in our residential alcohol & drug rehabilitation program follows a daily schedule of activities that focuses on long-term wellness and success. Combined, our 30-, 42-, 60-, and 90-day programs and sober living (90 days or longer)* accept a maximum of 39 clients, allowing you to be on a first-name basis with staff and peers.

*Note: We strongly recommend that clients between the ages of 19-22 at the time of admission enroll in our 60- or 90-day programs.

Complimentary Travel Assistance

Sunshine Coast Health Centre is the only treatment centre that provides complimentary travel assistance for clients arriving at the Comox or Vancouver Airport. Clients are accompanied by a SCHC staff person the minute they arrive at the baggage carousel until they board their flight to Powell River.

For more information on complimentary travel assistance, visit the Air Travel page.

Prompt Admission with Medical Support

Unlike government-funded treatment centres, we have no wait list. You can attend at any time. We are also one of the few treatment centres where admissions are conducted by trained medical personnel.

For more information on our admission procedures, visit the Drug Detox page.

Medical Detoxification

Unlike government-funded treatment centres, SCHC has an on-site detox unit. This means you or your loved one don’t need to be abstinent before entering treatment. Our detox unit specializes in medical detoxification, meaning that trained medical personnel are on-site 24/7 while a client withdraws from drugs and/or alcohol. SCHC’s detox unit also offers detox-only programs for alcohol and other drugs as well as a specialized detox program for opiates including Fentanyl, heroin, morphine, etc.

For more information on our detox services, visit the Drug Detox page. For more information on our specialized detox services including Suboxone Treatment, visit the Specialized Detox page.

Medical Assessment

Within 24 hours of admission, all clients are provided a medical assessment to determines their length of stay in the medical unit and whether further testing for co-existing medical conditions (such as liver damage, diabetes, etc.) is needed. Government-funded treatment centres do not provide such extensive medical assessments.

One week after admission, all clients receive a psychiatric assessment. This is critical for creating a treatment plan, which may include addressing mental health issues such as depression, trauma, and anxiety. Psychiatric assessments are rarely performed in government-funded treatment centres and many other private treatment centres do not have psychiatric services. Those that do often leave it up to a client’s counsellor to decide whether a psychiatrist is warranted.

Mental Health Services: an Integral Part of our Drug Rehab Program

Mental health counselling is an important part of our drug and alcohol treatment program since there is a high prevalence of clients having both addiction and mental illness (also known as dual diagnosis). Mental health counselling covers many disorders including mood disorders (e.g. depression and bi-polar), anxiety disorders (e.g. panic, social phobias, obsessive-compulsive, and post-traumatic stress disorder), sexual disorders, somatoform disorders, sleep disorders, eating disorder, impulse control disorders, schizophrenia, cognitive disorders (e.g delirium and dementia), and personality disorders.

As part of our mental health program, we provide ongoing assessment which involves diagnosing the existence of mental health issues. Identifying obstacles that have kept clients stuck in active addiction takes time, but greatly improves the odds of clients completing treatment and maintaining sobriety. For more information on our assessment services, visit the Assessment Services section.

Addiction Counselling: The Heart of our Drug Rehabilitation Program

We provide a combination of both group and individual counselling. Our counsellors are assigned a maximum of 8 clients so that each of our clients receives a minimum of one hour of individual counselling per week.

By combining Meaning-Centered therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and relationship counselling, our drug rehabilitation program offers an array of individualized treatment options based on recommendations of the counselling staff and needs identified by the client. These distinct modes of addiction therapy are integrated into our drug and alcohol rehabilitation program.

Alcohol & Drug Detox Services: A Necessary First Step

While drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs can exist without having detox services, many of our clients soon come to appreciate the benefits of having an onsite medically-supervised detox unit, which includes:

Prompt admission (clients are not required to be sober before entering treatment).

A transitional period that allows clients to adjust to their new environment before starting intensive group and individual counselling.

While in detox, many of our clients learn that they have medical conditions brought on by years of neglect or risky behaviour. While the diagnosis of disease is never easy, our medical staff is here to provide comfort and education so that clients can begin to make positive changes in their lifestyles to help manage their condition.

Life after Drug Rehabilitation Treatment: Alumni Programs & Services

Addiction recovery is the stage that follows alcohol and drug rehabilitation (sometimes referred to as post-treatment, aftercare, or continuing care). We realize that life after treatment is more than just abstaining from drugs and alcohol. Addiction recovery also means having satisfying relationships and a lifestyle that allows for personal and professional growth. That is why we begin to develop the tools for addiction recovery while you are in treatment.

Some examples of this include learning to have fun socially without the use of drugs or alcohol (off-site recreation), finding other ways to relieve stress (massage therapy, relaxation therapy, etc.), and ways to get “natural highs” (working out at our fitness centre). Going to off-site support meetings (e.g. SMART Recovery, NA, and AA) while still residing in our drug rehab also helps clients experience self-help meetings first-hand. We believe that off-site meetings are a critical first step in encouraging clients to make new, supportive friendships as an alternative to isolation or “friends” that feel threatened by recovery.

Addiction recovery, long neglected by the addiction treatment community, is now beginning to include innovative, effective ways of developing a rewarding sobriety for those struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. At Sunshine Coast Health Centre, our alumni have access to complimentary weekly online support lessons and videos, weekly support meetings in major Canadian cities, semi-annual alumni dinners, and 24/7 text and phone support with our alumni managers.

Therapy for the Mind, Body, and Spirit: Fostering Lifestyle Changes during Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation

While abstinence and sobriety is a necessary first step, we understand that abstinence from drugs and alcohol is only the beginning of life after treatment. That is why we encourage you to make lifestyle changes during your stay.

For example, our on-site therapies are designed to help clients feel better physically, emotionally, and spiritually. These therapies include massage, art expression, and relaxation therapy.

By experiencing these affordable and widely-available complementary therapies while in our drug rehab program, we believe that clients develop additional lifestyle skills that will enhance their odds of successful addiction recovery when they return to their home communities.

In addition, clients can use our fully-equipped fitness centre, go for walks around the 9-acre campus, and participate in off-site recreation such as beach trips, hiking and trail walks, bowling, biking, and kayaking (seasonal).

The Power of an All-male Peer Group in Drug Rehab

Apart from families and partners, your relationship with your peers during your stay in drug rehab is an important step in your recovery. We address the tendency of those with drug and alcohol addictions to isolate and turn to mood-altering drugs when struggling with life’s challenges. By sharing their experiences and supporting others with similar issues, clients can experience strength in numbers.

Unfortunately, sharing intimate thoughts and living together for an extended period can also be the catalyst for romance in a co-ed environment. Men and women in early recovery are particularly vulnerable to jumping into unhealthy relationships. This can have a devastating impact on marriages and have a “triangulating” effect in the peer group where jealousy and rivalries develop. Our drug rehab program is intentionally male-only so that clients can experience the power of the peer group in a safe environment.

THE FAMILY & COUPLES PROGRAM: Recognizing the Important Role of Significant Others in Successful Drug Rehabilitation Outcomes

“Twenty-five years ago families were by and large ignored by alcoholism clinicians. One is now hard pressed to find a credible alcoholism rehabilitation program that does not at least give lip service to the importance of including family members in the treatment plan.” ¹

Building a network of people supportive of your sobriety is critical to successful rehabilitation from drugs and alcohol. At Sunshine Coast Health Centre, we know that sending clients back to the same family dynamic after completion of drug rehabilitation treatment typically leads to continued problems of daily functioning.

Every month, we invite family members to participate in our Family & Couples Program. Up to three family members² can participate in one session at no charge, except for the cost of transportation and accommodation.

Spouses and partners are invited to participate in Day 4 of the Family Program, which is designed exclusively for couples counselling. The Couples Program allows clients and their spouses/partners to work together and with other couples separate from parents and children.

Regardless of whether you have a family member in our drug rehab or alcohol treatment programs, if you are a family member, friend, or partner of someone with an addiction we encourage you to visit our Self-Help Section for additional information.

² Additional family members exceeding three in one Family & Couples Program session will be wait-listed. Alternatively, family members and partners can participate in the next available session. The maximum attendance is one session is 20 participants. Contact Administration toll-free 1-866-487-9050 for more details.

DRUG REHAB DIRECTORY OF PROGRAMS & SERVICES

If you feel that our program is not the right fit for your needs at this time, visit the Directory of Alcohol & Drug Rehab Programs section for other drug rehabilitation options in your home community. Special sections are provided for all provinces and major cities in Canada as well as the states of Washington and Oregon.

Disclaimer: Sunshine Coast Health Centre reserves the right to add, remove, or modify program content without prior notice.

ABOUT US TESTIMONIALS

I like how you are encouraged to take charge of your life and receive unstructured time to do it. For example, on the weekends you’re kinda left to your own devices and I do like that. It kind of goes with the whole philosophy of you the author of your life.

Gavin

The most important thing I’ve learned is I’m not weak. That drugs and alcohol don’t control my life. That I’m able to make up decisions and that everyone and everything I’ve done here is about me, not other people.

Program Checklist

Service

Detox Only

The Detox Only program is a 7-day program that provides medical due to drug or alcohol withdrawal. Clients who require additional psychological services are recommended to extend their stay (without penalty) and participate in the Alcohol Treatment or Drug Rehab program. For more information visit the Detox Services (Alcohol & Drug) page.

Sober Living

The Sober Living program is a less intensive form of residential support for clients who are not ready to return home after completion of the Addiction program, Clients in the Sober Living program remain on the same campus but reside in a separate building. For more information visit the Alumni & Relapse Program page.

Alumni

The Alumni program includes a number of services available for clients who have completed a minimum of 30 days at Sunshine Coast Health Center. Services include Sober Living (see above) as well as online support, and the Relapse Prevention program for clients who are returning to Sunshine Coast Health Center. For more information visit the Alumni & Relapse program page.

Trauma

The Trauma program if for clients who require intensive therapy for both addiction and trauma. Lengths of stay are the same as the Drug Rehab program or Alcohol Treatment program. For more information visit the Trauma program page.

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Testimonials

I wanted to thank you for the hospitality afforded me during my stay on campus. It was a treat to get to see and hang out with everyone. You folks are doing good and powerful work there. You’re changing people’s lives and creating hope where despair and desperation had ruled. I will never forget you for giving me my life back and facilitating the relationship with my God that saved my life. I love you all– each and every one of you for giving so much of yourselves to save me and the many other fortunate clients who have been blessed by spending time with you all.